Weight loss drugs are changing the treatment of obesity. But when it comes to heart health, exercise can still be a game changer.
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen put 130 severely obese adults on an eight-week low-calorie diet that helped them lose an average of 30 pounds.
They then followed the participants for a year and assigned them to one of four maintenance groups: exercise alone, weight loss medication alone, exercise plus medication, or a placebo.
Results: People in both exercise groups had healthy blood vessels and lower levels of inflammation.
They saw a six to seven percent reduction in the thickness of artery walls, a major marker of heart disease and stroke risk.
The combination of exercise and medication also resulted in additional weight loss. But drugs and placebo alone did not help the heart.
As one researcher put it, “Weight loss pills are an important tool, but our results show that they cannot replace exercise.”
He says, “Physical activity remains important to protect the heart and blood vessels.”
How much for physical activity? Study participants averaged 150 minutes per week, the amount recommended for adults in current US guidelines.
Source: Metabolism of nature
Author Affiliations: University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Copenhagen Stenodiabetes Center, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, University of Southern Denmark, University of Oxford
